Collaborative Research: WSC-Category 1 - Linking freshwater inputs to ecosystem functioning and services provided by a large mangrove estuary

合作研究：世界水科学中心--第1类--将淡水输入与大型红树林河口提供的生态系统功能和服务联系起来这个项目将水平衡和碳收支与红树林河口的生态系统功能和服务联系起来(EF和S)，同时制定战略，将这一科学纳入区域水资源分配的决策论坛。研究区域是北美最大的红树林，位于大沼泽地国家公园(ENP)内。该项目的目标正在通过两个开放讲习班和一个有重点的实地试验来实现。该项目利用佛罗里达海岸大沼泽地长期生态研究计划(FCE-LTER)和其他与大沼泽地恢复相关的项目正在进行的工作。第一个公开研讨会致力于评估红树林碳和水预算、河口提供的生态系统服务以及这些服务的经济价值之间的联系。这次研讨会汇集了水资源工程、气候学、红树林河口水动力学、碳循环、鱼类行为生态学、休闲渔业和湿地恢复方面的不同专家。研讨会参与者确定了评估由淡水排放变化、海平面上升和气候变化引起的红树林生态足迹和S变化所需的研究。分组讨论的重点是：1)更好地了解生态系统服务的经济价值，部分与碳固定能力有关；2)利用30多年的捕捞做法记录，将淡水投入物与ENP休闲捕鱼的经济价值联系起来。重点野外实验将调查水和碳循环之间的联系。在这个实验中，示踪剂沿着下游经过几个潮汐周期。从标记的水柱内收集样本，以测量溶解的有机碳和无机碳的浓度和碳-13与碳-12的比率。溶解化合物的化学和同位素组成以及分子结构被用来区分淡水和海洋碳源。同位素方法也被用来描绘淡水/咸水过渡带上的鱼类觅食行为。在这片红树林中，自2004年以来对水汽和二氧化碳的净生态系统-大气交换进行了涡动协方差估计，并对生态系统的水和碳收支提供了重要的约束。第二期公开讲习班的重点是建立一个经验和方法框架，以评估环境基金和S的变化，并将结果纳入资源管理和恢复成本/效益分析。具体的重点放在理解无形的个人或社会价值观如何比成本效益分析更大地影响决策。因此，第二次研讨会在参与者的专门知识和讨论要点方面都比第一次研讨会有更广泛的范围。更好地了解热带红树林河口系统的水平衡和碳收支及其对管理、气候变化和海平面上升的依赖，有助于保护红树林，并确保其提供的生态足迹和生态足迹的持续，包括碳固存、渔业支持、风暴保护、水净化和娱乐。正在考虑赋予这些服务有形的经济价值和不太有形的个人或社会价值，以确定适当的管理战略和应对例如与气候变化有关的生态压力。因此，该项目是将对红树林EF和S的全面评估整合到影响佛罗里达州南部600万居民和独特生态系统的区域水资源管理计划中的第一步，由于其地势低洼和广阔的沿海湿地，面临着海平面上升的重大风险。这一框架可以作为管理整个热带河口的模式，具有广泛的影响。佛罗里达国际大学和其他为少数族裔服务的机构正在招募少数族裔研究生参与这项研究。初级调查员被邀请参加讲习班并在讲习班中发挥领导作用。该项目的成果通过在包括公民和环境组织以及政府机构在内的不同场所的演讲得到广泛传播。

Collaborative Research: WSC-Category 1 - Linking freshwater inputs toecosystem functioning and services provided by a large mangrove estuary This project links water balance and carbon budgets to Ecosystem Function and Services (EF&S) in a mangrove estuary while developing strategies for integrating this science into decision-making forums for allocating regional water resources. The study area is the largest mangrove forest in North America, which is located within Everglades National Park (ENP). The project's goals are being accomplished through two open workshops and a focused field experiment. The project leverages ongoing work by the Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research program (FCE-LTER) and other programs associated with Everglades restoration.The first open workshop is devoted to evaluating linkages between mangrove carbon and water budgets, the ecosystem services provided by the estuary, and the economic value of these services. This workshop brings together a diverse set of experts in water resources engineering, climatology, mangrove estuary hydrodynamics, carbon cycling, fish behavioral ecology, recreational fisheries, and Everglades restoration. Workshop participants identify research needed to assess changes in mangrove EF&S caused by altered freshwater discharge, sea level rise, and climate variability. Break-out sessions are focused on developing a better understanding of 1) the economic value of the ecosystem services, in part related to Carbon sequestration capacity and 2) linkages between freshwater inputs and the economic value of recreational fishing in ENP using a 30+ year record of fishing practices. The focused field experiment will investigate linkages between water and carbon cycles. In this experiment, a tracer is followed downstream through several tidal cycles. Samples from within the labeled water plume are collected to measure concentrations and Carbon-13 to Carbon-12 ratios of dissolved organic and inorganic Carbon. The chemical and isotopic composition and molecular structures of the dissolved compounds are used to differentiate between freshwater and marine carbon sources. Isotope approaches are also used to delineate fish foraging behavior along the fresh/saltwater transition zone. In this mangrove forest, eddy covariance estimates of net ecosystem-atmosphere exchange of water vapor and carbon dioxide have been made since 2004 and provide important constraints on the ecosystem water and carbon budgets. The second open workshop focuses on developing an empirical and methodological framework to assess changes in EF&S and on integrating the results into resource management and restoration cost/benefit analyses. Specific focus is placed on understanding how intangible personal or societal values may influence decision-making more than cost-benefit analyses. Thus, the second workshop has a broader scope in both participant expertise and discussion points than the first. Improved understanding of water balance and carbon budgets in tropical mangrove estuarine systems and their dependence on management, climate change, and sea level rise can help protect mangrove forests and ensure the continuation of EF&S they provide, including carbon sequestration, fisheries support, storm protection, water purification, and recreation. Tangible economic and less tangible personal or societal values placed on these services are being considered to determine the appropriate management strategies and responses to ecological stressors associated with, for example, a changing climate. Thus, this project represents a first step toward integrating a comprehensive evaluation of mangrove EF&S into the regional water resource management plan affecting the six million inhabitants and unique ecosystems of south Florida which, because of its low-lying topography and extensive coastal wetlands, faces significant risks from sea level rise. This framework can serve as a model for managing estuaries throughout the tropics, with far-ranging implications.Minority graduate students are being recruited from within Florida International University and other minority-serving institutions to participate in this study. Junior investigators are invited to participate and assume leadership roles in the workshops. Outcomes from the project are broadly disseminated through presentations at various venues, including civic and environmental organizations and government agencies.